Panel for animal pens



R. B. LOUDEN PANEL FOR ANIMAL PENS July 19, 1927.

Filed UCt. 1.7 1924 //I re for Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PAT N O F ROBERT B. LOUDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TOTHE LOUDEN MACHINEBY COMPANY, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF" IOWA.

PANEL FOR ANIMAL PENS.

Application filed October 17, 1924. semi No. 744,142.

invention relates to ready made panels which are to be transported from the place where they are made to the place where the pen is to be installed; and it consists of a pair of horizontally disposed tubular mem- V bers arrangedin parallelrelation to each other, one above the other when set up to form the pen, and including a series of ver- "tically disposed fillers having their endspressed tightly into holes in theadjacent sides of the horizontal members. Alsoyhaving suitable vertically disposed end -members connected to the ends of the horizontal membersand being adapted to be set in a suitable foundation and to be connected to the horizontal members'of similar adjoining a concrete curb in which the lower ends of the end members are generally set when installed'in a barn or stable, or where the pen is placed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1, the central portion of the figure being cut away to make it shorter. Fig. 3 is an enlarged hori-' zontal plan view on line 33 of Fig. 1 looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows, the filler where the line crosses it being shown in transverse section. Fig. 4. is a plan view of a portion of the corner of a pen as it appears when completed.

Referring to the drawings, A represents 7 the upper horizontally disposed tubular member of the panehusually called the top usually called the bottom rail. C is a vertically disposed end member usually called the corner post, and I) is a vertically disposed central. member to which the abutting ends of the top and bottom rails A and B, as well as the ends A and B of the members of an adjoining panel, are connected by means of the couplings E and F, when the pen is longer than the length of the single panel, or when there are adjoining pens with partitions between them. The corner couplings represented by G will be explained later on.

Between the post G and D are a series of vertically disposed spaced apart fillers, H,

having their upper and lower ends connected to the top and bottom rails A and B; -Formerly, the ends of these fillers'were connected to the top and-bottom rails by couplings, somewhatsimilar to the couplingE Y i connecting the member A to the post' 'D and usually, the parts were shipped in the knock down and were assembled as the penwas being constructed. ,This plan was objectionable in many respects, as the cost plings formed places "for catching and hold ing-dirt and debris and therefore, were unsanitary. i

To overcome these and other objections, I

drill anumber of holes inthe adjacent walls of the'tubular top and bottom rails, A" and B, said 'holesbeing spaced apart to'correspond with 'the number of fillers in'the panel. 'This can be easily'and quickly, and also, cheaply done in a single operation by using a multipledrill having spaced apart drills to correspond with the number of fillers. These holes must bethe exact size, or I a shade smaller than the diameter of the fillers which are material. I j r The fillers beingcut the proper length, the

outside portions of their extreme ends are tapered or beveled as shown in Fig. 2, for

easy initial entrance into the holes in the top and bottom rails. This can be easily, and quickly done by a revolving tubular tool having interiorly beveled cutters into which t-hee'nds of the fillers can'be inserted to taper or bevel them. The ends of the fillers may rail, and B is the lowertubular member,

also be tapered or beveled by other means known to those skilled in the art. To assem ble the parts'I place thetubular rails A and also preferably of tubular B in a press the proper distance apart,'with the'holes' in their sides toward each other,

and insert the tapered or beveled ends of the 'fillers in their respective holes. When the press is operated the members A and B will e forced onto" the fillers Huntil the ends of the latter will come in contact with the outer walls of the former, as shown in Fig. 2.

Whenpressed together in this way a strong structure will be. produced, and it will take.

considerable force to pull it apart. Then again, when the ends ofthe members A and B are connected to the posts C and D by the couplings E, F and G, considerable additional strength will be added to the structure and no additional means will be re quired to prevent the panel from being pulled apart.

hen the panels are set up to form a pen or pens there will only be one post between the abutting ends of the adjoining panels, the post D and couplings E and F shown in Fig. 1 being part of an adjoining panel.

In shipping the panel one post, preferably the post C, may be either connected to the end of the panel or the post and the couplings'may be shipped separately in what is known as the knock down form. To prevent any possible disarrangement of the members A and B from the fillers H in shipping, it may be advisable to wire together the ends of the members A and B which are not connected together by a post and couplings. But if the fillers have been tightly pressed into close fitting holes in the members A and B, there will be little liability of them being jarred apart in shipping.

In forming a single pen, four panels are required, one on each side, with couplings like Gr, having portions set at substantially I right angles to each other. A plan view of tition panel.

the upper coupling G is shown in Fig. 4:,the laterally extended portion of the coupling engaging and supporting the abutting end of the top rail A of the laterally extending panel. The lower coupling G is made in the same way to engage the abutting end of the bottom rail, (not shown) of said laterally extending panel. Similar couplings are also placed on the post D to engage and support the laterally extending panel on that side of the pen. With the panels ready made as described, all that is necessary in constructing.

the pen is to set them up with the lower ends of the posts in a suitable foundation and connect the adjoining ends of the panels together.

When several pens are arranged in a row with partitions between them, couplings like E and .F are to be used, which besides engaging the abutting ends of the top and bot tom rails A and B of the adjoining panel, are each provided with a laterally disposed inward extension to engage and support the ends of the topand bottom rails of the par- These laterally disposed inward extensions are similar to that shown in Fig. 4 which engages and supports the end of the top rail A of the end panel of the pen. with the exception that they should. be centrally located on the coupling instead of at one side or edge as shown in Fig. 4.

The post C extends up through the couplings G and the post D. through the cou-' pling F but not through the coupling E, which is similar in construction to the couplings G, but it is placed horizontally, whereas the couplings G are disposed vertically. To hold the panel in upright position the lower ends of the posts C and D are preferably inserted in a concrete curb I, which is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, but they may be inserted in any suitable foundatlon. A knob J or other kind of ornament may be placed on theupper end of the post C above the coupling G.

The style of pen, a portion of which 15 shown in the drawings, is generally known as the panel construction because the fillers 'H are held in place entirely by the top and bottom rails A and 13, and only the lower ends of the posts C and D are inserted in the concrete curb I to hold the panel in place. The principal part of my invention resides in the method of connecting the fillers to the top and bottom rails. This is'by far the simplest, cheapest, most sanitary and best plan of constructing panels for animal pens yet devised. V

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In ready made panels foranimal pens, the combination of a pair of spaced apart longitudinally disposed tubular members having corresponding holes in the walls of their adjacent sides and a series of spaced apart transversely disposed fillers corresponding to the number of holes in the members, said tillers being of a diameter to tight 1y lill the holes in the members, the extreme ends of the fillers being tapered or beveled for easy initial entrance into the holes, and then being tightly pressed by power mechanism therein until their ends will be a proxhnately in contact with the outer wa ls of said horizontally disposed members.

2. In ready made panels for animal pens, the combination. of a pair of spaced. a art longitudinally disposed tubular mem ers having corresponding holes in the walls of their adjacent sides and a series of spaced apart transversely disposed fillers corresponding to the number of holes in the members, said fillers being of a diameter to tightly fill the holes in the members, the extreme ends of the fillers being tapered or beveled for easy initial entrance into the holes, then being tightly pressed by power mechanism therein until their ends will be approximately in contact with the outer walls of the horizontal disposed members and the ends of said members being provided with couplings adapted. to be connected to similar members of an adjoining panel.

In ready made panels for animal pens, the combination of a pair of spaced a art longitudinally disposed tubular mem ers having corresponding holes in the walls of their adjacent sides, and a series of spaced apart transversely disposed fillers corresponding to the number of holes in the memhers, said fillers being of a diameter to tightly till the holes in the members, the extreme ends of the fillers being tapered or beveled for easy initial entrance into the holes, then being tightly pressed by power mechanism. therein until their ends will be approximately in Contact with the outer vided with couplings adapted to be conv neeted toposts to be set in a suitable foundation to support the panel in vertical position.

ROBERT B. LOUDEN. 

